Emergency vision device

ABSTRACT

An emergency vision device for use in a smoke emergency to enable an user to look through a windshield or view an instrument, comprises a housing; an inflatable enclosure having a first end for being disposed toward an user, a second end for being disposed toward the windshield or the instrument, the inflatable enclosure being stored within the housing when not in use, the first and second ends having first and second transparent panels, respectively, such that visual information from beyond the windshield or from the instrument is transmitted through the second panel to the user through the first panel; a blower operably connected to the inflatable enclosure adapted to inflate the enclosure; a first switch for operating the blower; and a member operably connected to the inflatable enclosure and the first switch such that the switch is activated when the inflatable enclosure is removed from the housing.

RELATED APPLICATION

This is a nonprovisional application based on provisional applicationSer. No. 60/017,591, filed May 14, 1996.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus to enable anoperator to maintain visual contact with an instrument or other visualsources of data after smoke and/or particulate matter from a fire hasinvaded the operator's environment. In particular, the present inventionrelates to an inflatable enclosure that fills the space between a pilotand the windshield and/or instrument panel along the pilot's line ofsight, the enclosure being adapted to permit the pilot to seetherethrough to the windshield and/or the instrument panel, therebyproviding him with vital information for guiding the aircraft to a safelanding after smoke and/or particulate matter from an on-board fireinvades the cockpit area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Emergency vision devices for aiding pilots to see throughvision-impairing smoke to maintain their visual access to criticalinformation, such as that provided by an instrument panel and visualinformation available outside the cockpit to help pilots safely guidetheir aircrafts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,832,287; 5,318,250;and 5,202,798, all issued to Bertil Werjefelt.

The present invention is an improvement over these prior art devices.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an emergency visiondevice that is relatively compact and easily fits within a briefcasewith plenty of room to spare.

It is another object of the present to provide emergency vision devicethat is relatively fool-proof to deploy.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anemergency vision device whose electrical components may be checkedwithout actually deploying the device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergencyvision device that includes a folded inflatable enclosure that isautomatically inflated as it is withdrawn from its housing.

In summary, the present invention comprises an emergency vision devicefor use in a smoke emergency to enable a user to look through awindshield or view an instrument. The device includes a housing; aninflatable enclosure having a first end for being disposed toward auser, and a second end for being disposed toward the windshield or theinstrument, the inflatable enclosure being stored within the housingwhen not in use, the first and second ends having first and secondtransparent panels, respectively, such that visual information from thebeyond the windshield or from the instrument is transmitted through thesecond panel to the user through the first panel; a blower operablyconnected to the inflatable enclosure adapted to inflate the enclosure;a first switch for operating the blower; and a member operably connectedto the inflatable enclosure and the first switch such that the switch isactivated when the inflatable enclosure is removed from the housing.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a cockpit, showing anemergency vision device made in accordance with the present inventionbeing used during an emergency.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a compact housing for the emergencyvision device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the emergency vision device of FIG. 1,with portions shown in fragmentary view, and other portions shown inexploded view.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inflatable vision unit of the deviceof FIG. 1, as shown in the deflated and stowed condition.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2,showing the arrangement of the inflatable vision unit of the device ofFIG. 1 as stowed within the housing of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5, after the inflatablevision unit shown in FIG. 5 has been withdrawn from the housing.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views taken along line 8--8 of FIG.5, showing the operation of a microswitch used to automatically operatethe device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the inflatable vision unit ofthe device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An emergency vision device R made in accordance with the presentinvention is disclosed in FIG. 1, as deployed in an aircraft cockpitduring a smoke emergency. The device R includes an inflatable enclosure4 connected to a power unit 6 with a hose 8, as best shown in FIG. 1.

The inflatable enclosure 4 includes a windshield unit 10 and aninstrument panel unit 12. The windshield unit 10 allows the pilot oroperator to see through the windshield 14 of the cockpit. The instrumentpanel unit 12 allows the operator to view the instrument panel 16.

The power unit 6 provides filtered air for maintaining controlledinflation of the inflatable enclosure 4. A relief valve 18 maintains theair pressure within the inflatable enclosure 4 at a predetermined levelfor proper operation.

The emergency vision device R is contained in a housing 20 when it isstored and not in use. The housing 20 has a removable cover 22 foraccess into the inflatable enclosure 4 stowed within. A test switch 24,which is accessible from the outside of the housing 20, is provided fortesting the operation of a blower 26 disposed within the housing 20.Another test switch 28, also accessible from outside the housing 20, isprovided as a means for testing the condition of a battery 30 disposedwithin the housing 20. A green indicator light 32, an orange indicatorlight 34 and a red indicator light 36 provide indication to the userwhen the test switch 28 is depressed if the battery 30 is in goodcondition, needs to be replaced, or inoperative, respectively.

The enclosure 20 is advantageously designed to fit within a briefcase,such as one typically carried by a pilot. The device R would remainwithin the briefcase until it is needed, at which time it is pulled outand deployed.

The inflatable enclosure 4 is compactly folded and stowed within thehousing 20 as best shown in FIG. 5. The inflatable unit 4 isadvantageously made from thin plastic material such as TEFLON FEP orripstop nylon. A pull-out strap 38 bundles the folded inflatableenclosure 4 such that the whole unit can be carried and pulled out ofthe housing 20 through the access opening 39 when the free ends 40 ofthe strap 38 are pulled out. VELCRO fasteners 41 are provided forsecuring the ends 40 together.

The access cover 22 is held in place by a pair of closure straps 42equipped with VELCRO fasteners 43 or other standard means, as best shownin FIG. 3. The cover 22 includes a central slot 44 and a pair of edgecut-outs 46 adapted to cooperate with the closure straps 42 in order tohold the cover 22 in place, as best shown in FIG. 2. The cover 22further includes a pair of friction fittings 48 that frictionally engagethe respective corners of the housing 20 to further help in securing thecover to the opening 39.

The power unit 6 includes a high performance air filter 50 for providingfiltered air for inflating the inflatable enclosure 4. A motor 52 isoperably connected to the blower 26. The battery 30 is operablyconnected to the motor 52.

The hose 8 is advantageously flexible in order to fit within the housing20 in a compact manner without collapsing, as best shown in FIG. 5. Thehose 8 is made from a thin plastic material supported on its outsidesurface by a plastic spiral wire 56, such that the hose 8 can becompressed longitudinally and bent on a radius without collapsing.Rotatable connectors 58 and 60 connect the hose 8 to the blower 26 andthe inflatable enclosure 4, respectively, as best shown in FIG. 5.

The blower 26, filter 50, motor 52 and the battery 30 are advantageouslydisposed in the rear portion of the housing 20, thereby providing freespace near the opening 39 for the inflatable unit 4 and the hose 8 foreasy removal during deployment. The hose 8 is advantageously disposedbehind the inflatable unit 4 so that during deployment the hose 8 is outof the way of the pilot as he pulls the inflatable unit 4 out of thehousing 20.

A longitudinal plastic member 62 has one end operably secured to thehose 8 and another end operably engaged with a microswitch 64 such thatwhen the inflatable enclosure 4 is withdrawn from the housing 2, themember 62 is disengaged from the micro switch 64, causing the motor 52to be energized and the blower 26 to operate, as best shown in FIGS. 5and 6. Filtered air is then introduced into the inflatable enclosure 4,thereby inflating the enclosure. A bypass switch 66 maybe used by theoperator to turn off the blower 26, as appropriate, such as when theemergency is over.

The hose 8 is connected to the inflatable unit at an upper portionthereof so that the inflating air will fall by gravity to the lowerportion of the inflatable unit, thereby assisting in the inflatingprocess.

The operation of the microswitch 64 is shown in detail in FIGS. 8A and8B. The member 62 is guided into an channel or well 68 into which anoperating arm 70 of the microswitch 64 is disposed. When the member 62is inserted into the channel 68, its end portion pushes the operatingarm 70 inwardly toward the microswitch 64 in the OFF position, as bestshown in FIG. 8A. Similarly, when the member 62 is withdrawn from thechannel 68, the operating arm 70 is released, thereby activating theswitch to its ON position.

The inflatable enclosure 4 includes semitranslucent panels 72 and clear,transparent panels 74 joined together to form the enclosure, as bestshown in FIG. 9. The panel 72 are preferably made from ripstop nylon andthe panel 74 from TEFLON FEP, available from E. I. DuPont de Nemours andCompany. The thickness is typically 5 mil. Another material is ACLARA 225 mil film, available from Allied Signal Corporation. The transparentpanels 74 are preferably made from TEFLON FEP 5 mil sheets.

The transparent panels 74 allow the operator to look through thewindshield and view the instrument panel 16, as best shown in FIGS. 1and 9. The windshield unit 10 is configured to fit the curvature of thewindshield 14 of the aircraft and be in intimate contact therewith.

The inflatable enclosure 4 is advantageously loosely inflated such thatit will conform to and seal over the windshield and the instrument panelso as to exclude smoke from the operator's line of sight and therebyallow the operator visual access through the windshield and theinstrument panel. The relief valve 18 allows the pressure within theinflatable enclosure 4 to be regulated and allows the enclosure toconform to and seal over irregularities on the surfaces which itcontacts so as to preempt the windshield and/or the displays of anysmoke on such surfaces.

The relief valve 18 provides slow leakage of the inflating filtered airto regulate the air pressure within the enclosure 4 to accomplish thefunctions described above. The inflatable enclosure 4 is, therefore,deformable in order for it to conform to the irregular shape of thewindshield, the instrument panel, the eye goggles of the user, etc., inorder to exclude smoke from the user's line of sight. A continuous flowof low pressure gas is provided to re-inflate the unit after repeateddeformations or partial deflations. The inflatable visual enclosure 4maintains a very low pressure differential on the order of one to twoinches of water, thereby facilitating that the enclosure 4 conforms tothe contours of the windshield and the instrument panel and the pilot'sgoggles or face mask that is used in an emergency.

The deformable nature of the inflatable enclosure 4 further allows theuser to manipulate the yoke through all the necessary movements, whiledeforming or deflating the enclosure 4 as the pilot manipulates theyoke. The yoke is more or less out of the pilot's line of sight towardthe instrument panel only when the aircraft is in level flight. Theinstrument panel unit 12 of the inflatable enclosure 4 is inflatedbetween the yoke and the instrument panel, which would interfere withthe user's movement of the yoke if the enclosure 4 is not deformable anddeflatable.

The continuous operation of the blower 26 re-inflates the inflatableunit 4 continuously to compensate for these deflations. The capabilityto re-inflate continuously compensates for the varying external pressurechange so that it has more or less a pressure deferential to theexternal air in the aircraft of about one or two inches of water inorder to maintain its form and function. A substantial amount of air isneeded for continual proper inflation of the inflatable unit 4. Theblower 26 and the filter 50 provides the required amount of inflatinggas that is practical and without weight penalties associated withcompressed gas storage tanks.

A light 76 is provide within the instrument panel unit 12 to aid theoperator to view the instrument panel in case of diminished illuminationwithin the cockpit. Wires 78 are advantageously routed within the hose 8for protection against wear and tear. The wires 78 are operablyconnected to the battery 30. The light 78 is automatically lit when theinflatable enclosure 4 is deployed and the blower 26 is automaticallyenergized by the withdrawal of the member 62 away from the microswitch64.

In operation, the closure straps 42 are removed to release and removethe cover 22 from the housing 20. The straps 38 are then pulled out,carrying with it the inflatable unit 4. The ends 40 of the strap 38 arereleased. As the inflatable unit 4 is pulled out of the housing 20, thehose 8 is played out, carrying with it the member 62, which thenactivates the switch 64, causing the blower 26 to operate and pump airinto the inflatable unit 4. The filter 50 cleans the ambient air of anysmoke particles so that only clear air is introduced into the inflatableunit 4.

The unit 4, now inflated, is positioned against the windshield 14 andthe instrument panel 16, thereby excluding any smoke in the line ofsight of the operator. The clear panel 74 of the instrument panel unit12 is pressed against the instrument panel 16. The clear panel 74 ofwindshield unit 10 is pressed against the windshield 14. The operatoris, therefore, able to see through the windshield 14 and the instrumentpanel 16 during the smoke emergency, providing the operator with theinformation necessary to control the aircraft safely.

While this invention has been described as having preferred design, itis understood that it is capable of further modification, uses and/oradaptations of the invention following in general the principle of theinvention and including such departures from the present disclosure ascome within known or customary practice in the art to which theinvention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features setforth, and fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of theappended claims.

I claim:
 1. An emergency vision device for use in a smoke emergency to enable an user to look through a windshield or view an instrument, comprising:a) a housing; b) an inflatable enclosure having a first end for being disposed toward an user, a second end for being disposed toward the windshield or the instrument, said inflatable enclosure being stored within said housing when not in use; c) said first and second ends having first and second transparent panels, respectively, such that visual information from beyond the windshield or from the instrument is transmitted through said second panel to the user through said first panel; d) a blower operably connected to said inflatable enclosure adapted to inflate said enclosure; e) a first switch for operating said blower; and f) a member operably connected to said inflatable enclosure and said first switch such that said first switch is activated when said inflatable enclosure is removed from said housing, thereby displacing said member relative to said switch.
 2. An emergency vision device as in claim 1, wherein:a) a hose connected to said inflatable enclosure and said blower; and b) said member is secured to said hose such that withdrawal of said hose from said housing causes said member to disengage from said first switch.
 3. An emergency vision device as in claim 1, wherein:a) said member is guided within a channel; b) said first switch includes an actuating arm disposed within said channel, said arm being biased in an on position; and c) said member engages said arm such that said arm is positioned in an off position.
 4. An emergency vision device as in claim 1, wherein:a) a second switch in series with said first switch adapted to turn off said blower after being activated by said first switch.
 5. An emergency vision device as in claim 4, wherein:a) said second switch is accessible within said housing.
 6. An emergency vision device as in claim 1, wherein:a) a third switch accessible outside said housing, said third switch is adapted to test the operation of said blower.
 7. An emergency vision device as in claim 1, wherein:a) a battery disposed within said housing, said battery being operably connected to said blower; and b) a fourth switch accessible outside said housing adapted to test said battery.
 8. An emergency vision device as in claim 1, wherein:a) a light disposed within said enclosure.
 9. An emergency vision device as in claim 8, wherein:a) a hose disposed between said enclosure and said blower; and b) wires operably connected to said light and disposed within said hose.
 10. An emergency vision device as in claim 1, wherein:a) a relief operably connected to said enclosure.
 11. An emergency vision device, comprising:a) a housing; b) an inflatable vision unit disposed within said housing; c) a blower adapted to supply air to said inflatable vision unit; d) a filter in series with said blower adapted to filter ambient air of smoke particulates; and e) a first switch for automatically activating said blower when said inflatable vision unit is pulled out of said housing.
 12. An emergency vision device as in claim 11, wherein:a) a hose connected to said vision unit and said blower.
 13. An emergency vision device as in claim 11, wherein:a) said vision unit includes an upper and lower portion; and b) said hose is connected to said upper portion such that air falls down by gravity to said lower portion to assist in inflating said vision unit.
 14. An emergency vision device as in claim 11, wherein:a) a hose connected to said inflatable enclosure and said blower; and b) a member is secured to said hose such that withdrawal of said hose from said housing causes said member to disengage from said first switch.
 15. An emergency vision device as in claim 11, wherein:a) said member is guided within a channel; b) said first switch includes an actuating arm disposed within said channel, said arm being biased in an on position; and c) said member engages said arm such that said arm is positioned in an off position.
 16. An emergency vision device as in claim 11, wherein:a) a second switch in series with said first switch adapted to turn off said blower after being activated by said first switch. 